


Blighted

by Geekspren



Series: Exiles [2]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-17
Updated: 2015-01-17
Packaged: 2018-03-07 22:14:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3185126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geekspren/pseuds/Geekspren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are no happily ever afters when life goes on, especially not for those meant to die. </p>
<p>Set roughly a year before the events of Inquisition, the final moments that drove the Wardens of the Fifth Blight on a quest to end The Calling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blighted

**Author's Note:**

> This started out as an idea on what happens to Grey Wardens who are sensitive to the taint and occasionally suffer bouts of sickness from the poison in their body. I imagine Wardens who joined during a Blight or fought an Archdemon are more likely feel these effects, especially if they survive when they shouldn't have.

"You must rest, my love." 

The damp cloth pressed gently against her temple, Leliana peering down at her with worried eyes.

"What's the point?" She rasped, attempting to rise. "It's not as if this will ever go away."

She did not resist when Leliana urged her to lie back down. Her body weighed like lead. Every breath needled fire down her throat. Today was a bad spell, it would pass. It always passed. But the times between the blighted attacks shortened year by year; the corruption slugging through her slow and patient, always growing. She knew that one day it wouldn't pass and there would be no recovery. No cure existed for the taint.

She wondered if Malcolm felt the attacks, or if it was just a consequence of slaying the Archdemon. A burden meant for her alone, punishment for cheating death. She wondered if Morrigan fretted over him as Leliana did her, unable to stop her love wasting before her eyes. The image was almost funny. Morrigan had never been one to fret.

Maybe Malcolm was already dead, and his child had never truly known their father. Seemed fitting for a noble that lost his family to be taken from his new one. Just another tragedy in the sad life of a Grey Warden.

A sigh escaped her, shuddering into harsh coughs. Why couldn't she just sleep?

"You do not know that, Nela." Leliana's hand had stilled on her brow, voice too measured, too calm. But she could not hide the tightness around her eyes, the minute shake of her fingers that gripped the cloth too tightly. Not from her. "There could be a way." 

"If you know of one, I'm all ears," Nela said, a wry smile on her face as she wriggled her pointed ears for emphasis. But Leliana only frowned, seeing her bared teeth for the grimace it was.

She knew she was being unfair. Whining like a child while dying, however slowly it truly was. She was sure she had a decent number of years left, perhaps more than a decade. But that fact mattered little when the taint festered in her as it did now. Maker's balls, when did it get so fucking hot? 

"The sacred ashes--"

"Are gone."

"-- _existed_." Leliana's glare pierced through her almost as sharply as the breaths she wheezed out. Nela withered and lifted her hand to rest over the one holding the cloth, giving a gentle squeeze. Leliana sighed, softening, and continued.

"They existed and you survived the Archdemon despite the price fate demanded of you. Those were miracles." Her free hand rested on Nela's cheek now, what should have been a comfort only adding to the unbearable heat. Nela leaned into it all the same, relishing that she at least could still recognize the soft touch only meant for her.

"And I have heard that Grand Enchanter Fiona was once a Grey Warden and had the taint removed from her in some way. Avernus as well was able to extend his life for centuries." 

"Through blood magic and torture." Nela said. She remembered drinking that damned concoction Avernus had made too, away from the eyes of the others save Malcolm. 

_“We shouldn't.”_

_“Should we really let it go to waste?”_

Maybe that was what caused the attacks. Maybe it and the Archdemon had made a twisted pact to wrack her body to paralysis more and more until she wouldn't even be able to crawl to the Deep Roads. 

The candlelight burned low, casting shadows on the wall in a flickering dance. The bed was too soft and the feathers poked through the pillow into her neck like maddening pins. But this was their room and their home and the times they both occupied it at once were rare and cherished and _why were there claws on her chest, digging, deepening in tempo with the music that wouldn't_ \--

"The point I am trying to make, my love," Leliana began. Nela’s hand had fallen back to her side, Leliana wiping away the new film of sweat on her brow. She wanted to speak, but feared a scream would come out instead. She tried concentrating on the former bard's voice, anything to make the music stop. "Is that if miracles like those have happened before, why can they not happen again?" 

Nela inhaled, breathing as deeply as she dared. Whispers tickled in the back of her mind but she ignored them. No one was here save the two of them. They were safe. 

_“Call on me when the time comes, sister. We will answer The Calling as we did The Joining.”_

"You may be right." She forced out. This would pass. It always passed. "You're only trying to help, I'm sorry. I just--" 

Her throat burned, voice nothing more than a harsh trickle. Leliana didn't deserve this.

"Hush, rest. " Her smile was small, tight with worry, but held a tenderness that made the heat bearable.

"Malcolm," Nela said. "We should find him. He could help." 

Maybe he felt the attacks as she did, maybe he didn't. They were both dying regardless. All Wardens were. Unless they found a way out.

"I understand." Leliana said, dipping the cloth back into the basin by the bedside. Things felt cooler now. "We may be able to find him. There have been rumors an apostate advises Empress Celene now."

"Morrigan."

"Perhaps."

"It'll be good to see them again." Maybe she could sleep tonight. Just this once. Maybe the dreams won’t come. "It's been so long."

"It has."

"Leliana." The acid in her chest had quelled some, tolerable, as much as it could be. She was so tired. "Could you sing?"

Fingers traced through her hair now, eyes upon her so soft. Leliana loved her. 

The Calling could sod itself.

"Of course." She said, and began to hum a soft lullaby, low and sweet.

Nela closed her eyes. One day this would be the only music she heard.


End file.
